Change of Major Degree Program

Students who wish to change their degree program must request a curriculum change.

Students who are completing or abandoning their current degree program and wish to join a new graduate program must apply for a curriculum change and be approved for admission by the new program and the Graduate College. Some programs may allow students to apply for this curriculum change using the petition process, while other programs may require a full graduate application with all required materials, including the application fee. Students should contact their newly proposed program of study for instructions.

Students who wish to concurrently pursue multiple degrees within their graduate department may request to add a secondary curriculum to their student record. This includes doctoral students requesting to be awarded a master’s degree while pursuing their doctoral degree program. This may also include students requesting to be awarded a certificate while pursuing their primary degree program. All secondary curriculum requests should be submitted using the petition process.

Students who wish to concurrently pursue multiple degrees from multiple departments must obtain approval from both departments as both programs will remain active within their curriculum record. Some programs may allow students to apply for this curriculum change using the petition process, while other programs may require a full graduate application with all required materials, including an application fee. Students should contact their newly proposed program of study for instructions. 

For petition requests, the following items are needed before the petition can be submitted for Graduate College review:

• Student Statement
• New Degree Objective
• Effective Term (Fall/Year, Spring/Year, Summer/Year)
• Additional Documentation at the request of the new department*

*Please note that when changing major departments, relevant information in your student file (such as Annual Academic Progress reviews) may be shared between your current department and the department you are applying to.

Adding or Dropping a Minor or Concentration

A graduate student petition is required to add or drop minors and concentrations attached to a student's major curriculum. The following items are needed before the petition can be submitted for Graduate College review:

• Student Statement
• Effective Term
• Name of Minor/Concentration
• List of Courses taken to fulfill Minor Requirements

Transfer of Coursework taken at uiuc

A graduate student petition is required to transfer coursework from one program to another. The following items are needed before the petition can be submitted for Graduate College review:

• Student Statement
• Course Information (CRNs, course departments, titles, credit hours, terms)
• Students requesting to transfer coursework taken at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign as an undergraduate or professional (Law/Vet Med) student may request a Change of Course Level. Please consult with your academic program office regarding this request.

Transfer of Coursework from another Accredited Institution

A graduate student petition is required to transfer coursework from one program to another. The following items are needed before the petition can be submitted for Graduate College review:

• Student Statement
• New official, sealed transcript from accredited institution (may be electronic transcript submitted via third-party service)
• Signed and dated statement from transfer institution affirming that the courses were not used toward another degree (if degree was awarded)

Required of All Graduate Student Petition Requests:

• Completed petition form
• Current adviser’s comments
• Current department authorized signatory comments
• Petitions may be denied or returned for information if submitted incomplete

Before submitting a curriculum change or transfer credit request, it is important for graduate students to consult with their academic program.

Graduate College Review

Upon submission, the petition is routed to the student's home academic department for review and comments. Once all necessary comments are collected, the petition will then be submitted to the Graduate College for final review.

Once a decision has been made, the official decision will be communicated via email to the student, the student’s current academic program, and the second academic program (if applicable).